This is a discussion on 05 STI vs WS6 TA within the Comparison: WRX vs World forums, part of the Community - Meet other Enthusiasts category; Originally Posted by 302@12psi
Probably because F1 banned AWD?
hehe...no kidding. It's nice to see this discussion pop up every ...

hehe...no kidding. It's nice to see this discussion pop up every now and then.

To me it's just common sense. Having all 4 wheels power you, regardless of the application (straight line or curves) allows an overall greater contact patch for the driven wheels. Sure there is a trade off with weight and a bit of a loss of adhesion due to dual functionality of the front wheels both driving and turning, but in this day and age of computer controlled everything, this is more than offset.

Point of fact...AWD rally car vs RWD rally car. Same power levels, suspension, driver, etc. Which will win?

Same holds for every other race sport (with the obvious exception for high speed runs like at Bonneville, and even then it has it's points).

AWD loses more power in the drive train than RWD, it's also heavier. RWD is more simple and plain. Simple is what works best in racing. They each have their advantages. The Skylines AWD system is among the best in the world and it shows. But it's also kinda heavy.....

hehe...no kidding. It's nice to see this discussion pop up every now and then.

To me it's just common sense. Having all 4 wheels power you, regardless of the application (straight line or curves) allows an overall greater contact patch for the driven wheels. Sure there is a trade off with weight and a bit of a loss of adhesion due to dual functionality of the front wheels both driving and turning, but in this day and age of computer controlled everything, this is more than offset.

Point of fact...AWD rally car vs RWD rally car. Same power levels, suspension, driver, etc. Which will win?

Same holds for every other race sport (with the obvious exception for high speed runs like at Bonneville, and even then it has it's points).

I beg to differ my friend; the same does NOT hold true in every other race sport. In rally racing, of course AWD will be superior because you're on slippery surfaces and need all the traction you can get. No brainer.

All racing is based on RWD, tracking racing, anyway. Not to mention RWD cars tend to be lighter because they only need 2 differentials whereas AWD cars tend to need 3, among other things...

I think nowadays people really overrate AWD, as if they're going to fly off the road at every turn without it.

check this out...

any of you guys watch "Top Gear"? I love it. If you're familiar with it, here's something to consider... their "tame racing driver" has these times with these cars around their race track. Look how far you have to scroll down before you find an AWD car, although it is our arch-nemesis the Evo...

any of you guys watch "Top Gear"? I love it. If you're familiar with it, here's something to consider... their "tame racing driver" has these times with these cars around their race track. Look how far you have to scroll down before you find an AWD car, although it is our arch-nemesis the Evo..

any of you guys watch "Top Gear"? I love it. If you're familiar with it, here's something to consider... their "tame racing driver" has these times with these cars around their race track. Look how far you have to scroll down before you find an AWD car, although it is our arch-nemesis the Evo...

Looks like RWD wins again.

get an updated list that one is way old. the veyron which is awd is currently 5th. and it also weighs twice as much as every car in the top 4 spots. awd on any dot tire wins every time. end thread.

spots 5, 10, 13 and 15 are all awd cars. veyron is mistyped a 4 should be a 1:17XX

Last edited by 2004NeonSRT4; 03-03-2009 at 05:46 PM.

RayfieldsWRX - "You like the feel of torque steer? Interesting"
jd92677 - "I like the idea of mashing the gas and not knowing which way the car will go."
-02 WRX 13.8@96 stock SOLD
-04 SRT-4 626whp SOLD.
-04 STi 13.3@102 stock. SOLD
-04 SRT4 388whp DD SOLD

spots 5, 10, 13 and 15 are all awd cars. veyron is mistyped a 4 should be a 1:17XX

For sure no doubt, and I should have checked to make sure it was fully updated before I posted it. I wondered why I didn't see the GT-R from Nissan on there anywhere.

I don't question the performance of AWD, but I think we can all agree that prior to recent years (Veyron-type) and even still today (top 4 spots are held by RWD cars) that RWD is very good at getting cars around tracks fast and top speed. I think we can also agree that none of us will ever own half the cars on that list, and if you look at the ones that are affordable, most are RWD.

The Veyron is an amazing engineering feat, but it has quickly been surpassed as "the fastest" car around. I know this has naught to do with our track discussion, but consider this American machine:

* Even weight distribution — The layout of a rear wheel drive car is much closer to an even fore and aft weight distribution than a front or all-wheel drive car, as more of the engine can lie between the front and rear wheels (in the case of a mid engine layout, the entire engine), and the transmission is moved much farther back.
* Weight transfer during acceleration — During heavy acceleration, weight is placed on the rear, or driving wheels, which improves traction.
* No torque steer (unless it's an all wheel steer with an offset differential).
* Steering radius — As no complicated drive shaft joints are required at the front wheels, it is possible to turn them further than would be possible using front wheel drive, resulting in a smaller steering radius for a given wheelbase.
* Better handling in dry conditions — the more even weight distribution and weight transfer improve the handling of the car. The front and rear tires are placed under more even loads, which allows for more grip while cornering.

The RWD versus AWD thing comes down to personal preference and need. There are some fine examples of "high hp cars" with AWD, Porsche's 911 Turbo, the GT-R, Lambo's higher end Gallardo, etc..and some people just love the feel and "security" of AWD. Obviously our brethren in the snow belt would prefer it.

Having said all of that, my next pure sports car is likely to be a RWD vehicle. I miss the driving dynamics..

Given the option of a high end car in RWD vs AWD is going to be a preference. I enjoy RWD for it's "fun" factor. If serious performance was an issue I'd option for AWD. Not being hindered severally by rain/snow goes a long way.

Watch some Grand-Am races where the cars and weighted down to be as equal as possible. You can not void out the driver skill factor, but any time it rains Subaru, Audi, and Volvo when they were in it put a serious hurting on the field. All cars have been in the top 3 on dry pavement as well.

0-60 faster then your first sexual experience.
"You've come far, and though you're far from the end
You don't mind where you are, cause you know where you've been"

Finally ran a TA today and got 2 good runs. 1st was a 20 roll and got him by 1 1/2. Second run was a dig and it was about 1 bus. Now I'm not sure what mods the TA had but it nice to flex a little 2.5 muscle. AWD FTW

First off I didn't claim this blowout victory over some super modded Trans Am, so don't get your point of this video.Second like a couple of post's have already said it's all preference, I prefer awd and on that day it out ran a rwd TA

First off I didn't claim this blowout victory over some super modded Trans Am, so don't get your point of this video.Second like a couple of post's have already said it's all preference, I prefer awd and on that day it out ran a rwd TA

The point of the video was purely a joke dude. Do you honestly think I thought you beat a BAN3 Trans Am with well over 600hp? I too enjoy AWD, hence the reason I have a WRX. Just don't question RWD's ability to smoke AWD in a launch from a dead stop. The Trans Am from 98-02 with the LS1 5.7 v8 (the WS6 you were referring to) can do 0-60 in 4.2-4.8 seconds. Pretty impressive for stock, if you ask me.

I forgot to add that the STi weighs 3296lbs and the TA weighs 3440lbs. So the 5.7 v8 weighs 144lbs more than the STi? That's a lightweight v8, and has mucho potential for torque and hp.

American muscle baby. Some people need to stop watching Fast and the Furious and playing Need for Speed so much.

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